The present invention is directed toward a lighting system and more particularly, towards a lighting system that includes a plurality of adjustable light sockets secured to a flexible strip of material.
Decorative lighting systems used indoors and outdoors are well known. For example, a plurality of lights strung on a wire can be used to decorate indoor real or artificial Christmas trees as well as year round on live trees outdoors. Also, stringed lights have been used to illuminate poles, houses, buildings, driveways, and the like. Spotlights have also been used to illuminate trees, landscaping, or outdoor decorative structures.
Each of the situations described above, however, typically requires a specific type of system. A lighting system that is versatile enough to accommodate most, if not all, of the situations described above would be economical and more efficient than using a variety of different types of systems for particular applications.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,268 to Fowler discloses a tubular strip having a plurality of light sockets mounted thereon for receiving light bulbs. This lighting system does provide versatility in that the system may be used in various types of settings. However, it does not allow the individual light sockets to be adjusted so as to provide even more versatility.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,065 to Rhodes discloses an elongated tubular member with a plurality of lights mounted thereon. The lights extend through the branches of a tree and are used to decorate the tree. This device, however, does not appear to be easily usable on other types of structures.
Therefore, a need exists for a lighting system that may be used indoors or outdoors and conforms to almost any surface as well as provides the ability of the individual lights to be adjustable.